Savkovic: Turkey is one of Pristina’s most important partners, the latest military agreement also has a political dimension

Marko Savkovic of the ISAC Fund told Kosovo Online that the new military agreement between Turkey and Kosovo was signed at a time when elections are once again approaching, and that it also carries a political dimension.

“Kurti maintains relations with the Quint countries, but those relations are far from harmonious. He is not fulfilling obligations from the dialogue, and despite messages that Kosovo needs political stability, it seems to me that he is looking for a way to prolong his stay in power regardless of what is happening with the opposition and the overall political scene. This latest episode involving Vjosa Osmani demonstrates that very well,” Savkovic said.

He added that Turkey remains one of Pristina’s most important partners and that, by all indications, this is unlikely to change.

Asked whether Ankara is directly supporting Kurti with this move ahead of the elections, Savkovic said that Turkey views the matter differently.

“Ankara claims that it is trying to maintain good relations with both Belgrade and Pristina and to act constructively. However, in Belgrade, the intensive cooperation between Turkey and Pristina, especially in the field of defense, is not viewed favorably,” he pointed out.

As he added, there is a difference between the political and military aspects of the cooperation.

“The political part can somewhat be understood, but when it comes to military cooperation and the procurement of new systems that are more or less sophisticated, such as the ‘Bayraktar,’ there is a certain degree of suspicion and reservation. Although relations between Belgrade and Ankara have been good in recent years, it seems to me that they are now in a phase of reassessment, and it remains an open question how they will develop further,” Savkovic concluded.